


Tal'Dorei University

by bunnyinablender



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, M/M, Short Chapters, Spoilers - Vox Machina Campaign, Spoilers - Vox Machina Origins comic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-27 15:00:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13250682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnyinablender/pseuds/bunnyinablender
Summary: Vax’ildan lives two lives: his real one, where he attends Tal’Dorei University in Emon with his twin sister and a myriad of interesting dorm-mates, and the one he inhabits when he sleeps: a world of epic fantasy, fraught with danger, heartbreak, and heroism. Sometimes it’s hard for him to differentiate the two, especially when emotions bleed between the two.College AU Collection of short scenes. Main pairings are Vax'more, Perc'ahlia, & Pikelan. Rated M just in case, most chapters will likely be more T or PG.





	1. Move-In

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters might not be in order. :)
> 
> Got a headcanon of this AU or a request? Send it to my Tumblr's askbox: @rikkiatia.

“Stubby, you have your own room, you know?” he says with a sidelong glance at his sister, who sits crosslegged atop his raised twin bed, staring down at him. 

“Yes, but…” Her voice trails off. She’s hesitant, he can tell. “I just want to stick around to meet this roommate of yours. The one with the insanely long name like he’s some medieval lord.”

“Surely you’ll have more chances than today to meet him. I’m stuck with him for a year after all.” Standing, he moves to stand in front of his sister. “Vex’ahlia, I’m never going to leave you. I’ll _always_ be here for you, so don’t worry.” He gifts her the smile only she sees, placing a hand on her head. 

Vex chews on the inside of her cheek, pursing her lips ungracefully. “Yes, well, fine if you want me to leave that badly.” She moves to get down off the bed, landing on her feet easily. 

“C’mon, you know it’s not that, but it’s already late so who knows if Mister What’s-His-Name is even going to show tonight. Plus, don’t you have a roommate of your own to greet?”

“Already done, dear brother,” Vex says flippantly, gesturing regally.

He raises a brow to her assertion. “Really? And what’s she like?” 

“She’s quite sweet, actually,” Vex replies, holding a hand to her chin as she recalls. “She’s a philosophy and ethics major, apparently, and we have plans to get breakfast together tomorrow.”

Now it was Vax’s turn for a pang of jealousy and discomfort to wrestle with his heart. “Well, if Mister—“ Vax gestures to the empty half of the dorm room. “—gets here tonight, I’ll be sure to invite him too, unless you were planning to abandon me in lieu of your new BFF?” His tone is teasing, sarcastic. 

Vex shoots her brother a glare that could level a battlefield. “Well, it would do me well to expand my horizons beyond my shut-in brother,” she muses, looking away and drawing contemplative circles with her hands. She pauses and makes a scant glance towards Vax who wears an amused smile on his lips. Sighing and dropping her arms to her sides, Vex adds, “No, of course you and Mister What’s-His are welcome to join us.” 

“Once again, my beloved sister Vex’ahlia pulls through with the award of most generous.” Vax feigns disbelief, a hand clasped above his heart. 

Vex crosses her arms where she stands next to the door to the small room and the tone dampens before she speaks next. “Things are going to change, huh?” 

Vax’ildan waits a long moment before replying. “Stubby, some things never change.”

“Well, I hope some things do!” she asserts. “College is supposed to make things better. Improve job opportunities and all that. And be fun ta-boot!”

“Opportunities for sorrow and entertainment both will be plentiful, dear sister. Of that I am sure,” Vax tells her. “Now seize this opportunity to get a good night’s sleep.” 

Vex sighs. “Fine, if I must.”

“Gotta get that beauty rest to impress all the hot college folks tomorrow, right?” 

Vex rolls her eyes as she opens the door, a hint of reluctance still clinging to her limbs. Brushing it away, she turns back to her brother with a smile and says, “Sleep or no, they’ll be falling all over me tomorrow. Of that _I_ am sure.”


	2. Late-Night Phone Call

It’s past midnight when Vax finally climbs into the bed that would be his for the next ten months. The mattress creaks like a dilapidated house every time he moves so much as an inch, and he struggles to pin down restful sleep. It's just not in the cards for him this night.

Just as he sleep finds him, his phone rings. Rolling over and picking it up, he rubs his eyes against the bright screen in the dark, squinting towards the screen that holds a number he doesn’t recognize. Glancing at the clock he placed on his desk, it informs him it’s just past 3AM. Groaning, he answers, hoping it’s not Vex having lost her phone. “Hello?” His voice is sleep-muddled.

“Hello! Is this Vax’ildan Vessar?” The voice is entirely too composed for this hour of the night. 

“This is he.”

“Splendid. My name is Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. I’m to be your roommate at Tal’Dorei University this year.”

“Great. Now why are you calling me at 3AM?” Vax sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. “Fuck,” he adds under his breath when realizing he really isn’t going to get any sleep tonight. 

“It’s great of you to ask, but actually it is because I have a favor to ask of you. I got your phone number from the email notification of our match as roommates, you see.”

“Can you get to the point?” Vax grumbles, the sense that this roommate might be trouble sinking in steadily.

“Certainly, I simply need you to pick me up from the Emon County Jail.”

“You— what?” 

“I had a small scuffle with a fine police officer and have been placed in a holding cell in Emon County Jail. Since you are in town, I would imagine you are quite capable of coming and getting me.”

Sighing audibly, Vax entertains the idea of just ignoring the request and obtaining the five hours of sleep he might get if he fell asleep right at this moment. But he quickly dismisses the idea, realizing this fucker would get out one way or another and then he’d have to deal with not having helped him on the first night of school for the rest of the year. Better start on the right foot, he supposes. “Fine, I can bail you out.”

“Fantastic, I will be ever grateful.” 

Rubbing his eyes as he gets out of bed, pulling on a shirt and some shoes, Vax asks, “What’s your name again?”

“You may call me Percy.”


	3. Breakfast

Vex’ahlia rises early, like usual, and readies herself for the morning full of dorm-related activities. It’s Sunday and tomorrow is the first official day of classes for the Autumn semester, but when she and Vax checked in the day before, she was informed of dorm bonding activities scheduled for Sunday to kick-off the year. Her roommate is still asleep when she returns from the showers, which were nicer than she anticipated, having attended a private boarding school throughout high school. It was nice to know this place was more progressive, however, as she caught sight of individuals of a variety of genders using the same bathrooms. 

The roommate rouses as Vex is doing her make-up in a mirror set on her desk. The young woman stretches and yawns unceremoniously before scratching her head of white hair as she looks over at Vex. “Good morning,” she greets. 

“Good morning,” Vex replies, smiling before returning to the challenge that is winged eyeliner. Who knew how many first impressions she would be making today, thus it was imperative she look her sharpest. 

Her roommate slowly gets up, milling about and getting dressed. 

“Are you still up for breakfast?” Vex asks as she puts the finishing touches on her make-up and begins braiding her still-damp hair.

“Y- yes! I mean yes! I will be ready soon,” Pike replies, hurriedly brushing rats’ nests out of her hair and spraying dry shampoo on the roots. 

“Great, I’m going to go fetch my brother. I’ll be right back, okay?” Vex stands, and heads for the door.

“Perfect, that’ll give me a minute to get ready!”

Vex winks at her roommate as she leaves. “That was the idea, darling.”

The hallway is mostly empty. Vex had not thought 8AM was early, but it appeared she was incorrect. Vax was at the other end of the hallway from her, but she thought it was better than in a different building or even a different floor. She moves quickly down the hallway, glancing at some of the names on the closed doors, but none catch her attention. Stopping at the second to last door, it has two tags, one for her brother and one for his medieval roommate. Knocking, she waits but there is no reply. Pursing her lips, she pulls out her phone and texts Vax, Are you up yet? Did you go to breakfast without me? But the message remains on Delivered with no immediate reply. 

As she stands in the hallway next to his door, she briefly looks up as a hulk of a man with arms covered in black tattoo sleeves says, “Excuse me,” and moves past her down the narrow hall. Staring after him, she sees the tattoos reach up the back of his neck and across a bald scalp. Vex eyes him warily, wondering if he’s supposed to be here, then returns to her phone where she pulls up her contacts and dials Vax. 

Relief immediately hits her when she hears her brother on the other end of the phone, “Hello?”

“Hey, where are you?” she asks, sounding more exasperated than she means to. For some reason, not knowing where he is worries her more than it should. It’s not as if they’ve never been apart, but she has always known where he was. 

“Sorry, I— It’s a long story. We’re almost to the dorms, we’ll meet you at the dining hall, alright?” There’s noise in the background of his call, like he’s in a car. 

“Vax, where are you right now?” She asks again.

“I’m almost to campus. See you at the dining hall.”

“Vax— Vax?” Vex pulls her phone away from her ear and looks at the display to see the call end. Anger flares up in her stomach, burning away any worry she had before. “Ugh!” She grumbles, pushing her phone back in her pocket and storming back down the hallway. 

Entering her room, she starts at the sight of the tattooed man sitting on her bed. Jumping just a bit, she struggles to smooth out her shock only after she lets out a yip of surprise. She looks between the man and her roommate. 

“Vex! You’re back. Where’s your brother?” Pike asks, poking her head out of her closet, looking mildly more put-together. 

“Um… he’s going to meet us there. And this is…?” She asks, gesturing to the man sitting on her bed. 

“I’m Grog,” he says, bearded face splitting into a childlike smile as he hops down with a large sound and holds out his hand to shake hers. 

She tentatively shakes his hand, although it feels like he’s shaking a wet noodle. “Grog?” She says with disbelief. _That’s not a name_ , she thinks to herself. 

“Well, technically it’s Philip, but I don’t seem like a Philip to you, do I?” He says, gesturing to himself. 

“No, not quite,” Vex replies, still wary. Swallowing, she recomposes herself. “And why were you sitting on my bed?”

“Oh, that’s _your_ bed?” He asks, shocked. He reaches up to pat the sheets back down, his t-shirt straining against the muscles in his arms. “I guess the sheets looked a little funny.”

“My buddy Grog and I have known each other since middle school!” Pike asserts, finally exiting her small closet ready to go. 

“Oh. I see,” Vex replies. “Well, it’s certainly nice to meet you, er— Grog. Are we ready to go to the dining hall, then?” 

“Yes, shall we away?” He bows dramatically, holding an arm out to Pike, who was easily more than a foot and a half shorter than him. 

“Okay okay okay,” Pike agrees, grabbing onto his arm as they exit the room, Grog having to dip his head to avoid hitting it on the doorway.

Vex sighs, straightening her hem and following them out and across the courtyard that separated their dorm from the dining hall. As the morning goes on, the hustle and bustle she was expecting out of a major university emerges. She catches looks from a few people as she waits in line behind Pike and Grog, who chatter excitedly and without end. 

It’s another twenty minutes before the trio is joined by one haggard Vax’ildan. Vax plops into a seat across from Vex with no greeting, immediately slumping across the table, head resting on his arms.

“Well hello to you too, brother,” Vex grumbles as she sips her coffee.

Vax mumbles something into his arms she can’t quite make out.

“What was that?” she asks before noticing a man of moderate height and hair as white as Pike’s take a seat next to him. He has handsome features and a pair of circular glasses that remind her of a mystery film villain. 

“Greetings,” the new arrival says cheerily, digging into a plate of breakfast. 

“I assume you’re Vax’s roommate?” Vex inquires, leaning back a little in her chair. 

“You would be correct, miss, and I would assume you are his lovely sister.” He readjusts his glasses momentarily. “The resemblance is uncanny.”

“Yes, well we’re twins, so…” She trails off, gesturing at Vax who might actually be asleep. “I’m Vex’ahlia.”

Gesturing to himself, he says, “Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III.”

“But you may call him _Percy_ ,” Vax says sarcastically, only picking his head up from the table for a moment. It is long enough for Vex to get a better look at the dark circles clinging to the space just beneath his eyes. 

As Pike and Grog perk up and begin to introduce themselves to Percy as well, Vex uses the momentary distraction to prod her brother with a finger and hiss, “Did you stay up all night? After you lectured me about a good night’s sleep?”

Vax grumbles, pushing himself up just enough to grab her cup of coffee and down it. “It was a long night.”

“Hey!” Vex chastises, grabbing the empty cup and looking inside longingly. “Get your own, and maybe some breakfast while you’re up. Sleep or no, we have an agenda today. I doubt our RA is going to let you sleep the day away if he can help it. He doesn’t really seem like a forgiving guy.” 

“Fuck, I forgot about the agenda,” Vax curses, picking the remnants of her breakfast off the plate and eating them. 

“Vax!” she hisses again, slapping his hand as he goes for her last triangle of toast. 

“Please forgive him.” Vex’s eyes turn to Percy just long enough for Vax to snag the piece of toast off her plate. “He was doing me a favor I may never be able to repay which cost him the good night sleep you mentioned. Your brother tells me you’re forgiving, and so I humbly request that you aim your ire at me if you must aim it somewhere.”

Vex’s throat tightens slightly and she clears her throat and recomposes herself before replying, “What favor did he do for you, exactly?”

Vax shoots a look at Percy, then walks away from the table to fill up a plate of his own. 

Percy clears his throat before stating, “That, my dear, is a story I might require a few drinks to tell in full.”


	4. First Night

The first night that Vax’ildan gets to sleep in the dorms, the dreams are intermittent, scattered, like photographs out of focus. 

_A loud splashing sound accompanied a sharp pain in his torso and a screech from Vex. He tried to scream, but all he heard was her shouting and a wizzing sound like a projectile through air. The air felt like water and the pain in his chest was excruciating. He wondered if he was having a heart attack._

Then darkness, a wordless transition between memories the way thoughts are connected.

_Her face was splattered with freckles the way the night sky is with stars. Her eyes a sharp green. He felt the pain in his chest quickly dissipate._

_“Sorry, he hasn’t seen another othlir before.” It’s Vex’s voice but…_

Again, the image fades and he blinks into another time, another place. This one is clearer. 

_“What’re you in for?” A familiar voice, but he can’t place from where._

_“‘E’s in for attempted murder, that one is.” An unfamiliar voice, coming from a man with large mutton chops and a scar on his chin. He’s holding a key ring one might find in a video game._

_Then the room comes into focus, bringing a line of jail cells barred in iron and in front of him is a man with shock-white hair sitting, hands shackled, in one of the cells. Dirt covers his tidy blue waistcoat threaded with silver._

_“Percy?” Vax whispers, but no one notices._

_“How much would it cost to spring him?” asks another voice, smooth as butter. Vax looks and is almost startled to see a person, humanlike but only three feet tall._

_“‘Why’d you want to release this’ne?”_

_“That is our business, darling.” This time it’s Vex, but she’s wearing leather armor and a cloak the color of one of her favorite turquoise sweaters. She winks at the guard, sidling up to him a little the way he’s seen her do to people she liked. “But I’m sure you’ll give us no trouble in this matter, of course, since we would be taking him off your hands. He would no longer be your problem.”_

_“But miss, what if ‘e tries to kill again?” the guard asks, eyes obviously wandering partly out of nervousness and partly because of Vex’s unsubtle charms._

_“Darling, we will take full responsibility for this…” She glances at Percy in the cell. “Wrong-doer.”_

_The man swallows, eyeing the prisoner. “Well, I s’pose y’all’re fine folk. The townsfolk’ve been tellin’ tales ‘bout a group like yers what lifted the curse on the swamp.”_

_“Yes, dear, that was us,” Vex coos, flattening the collar of the guard’s tunic._

_“Yeah, we’re the SHITs!” Vax turns to see Grog, Vex’s roommate’s friend who was there at breakfast, except he’s even taller than Vax remembers. And his skin is an ashen gray. The enormous double ax strapped to his belt paints an intimidating picture, despite the familiar childlike smile on his shaven face._

_The guard nods, fumbling clumsily with the keys and unlocking first the cell, then the shackles on Percy’s wrists._

_“Thank you, kind sir,” Vex says, “We’ll make sure to take good care of this criminal and ensure his life of crime is at an end.”_

_The group of them exit the stockade and Vax notices a bipedal dragon-like creature and the girl with the emerald eyes are there too. Once on the street, Percy speaks, “Not that I am not abundantly grateful for the arguable prison break you just conducted for me, but who are you?”_

_“Vex’ahlia,” Vex says, holding out her hand._

_“Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III.” He bows to her and kisses her hand for the first time, not knowing yet that he would spend the rest of his life trying to ensure her happiness. “But my friends call me Percy.”_

Another.

_“Pike!” It’s Grog talking again, still with the ashen skin. His massive and numerous tattoos persisted into the dream, though._

_Vax is outside a small red-brick house, leaning against the wall with Vex. They’re in a residential thoroughfare, but the road is dirt, more mud, and all the passersby are in similar fantasy-novel-esque garb. One here and there are even short like the other man from before, some are short but much stockier. Dwarves, the stocky ones are dwarves, Vax decides._ It’s like I’m in Lord of the Rings, _he thinks._

_Just as Grog is about to shout again and pound on the door of the humble dwelling, the door swings open and another small being jumps out, a head of black hair tossed by the wind as she latches on to Grog’s chest. “Grog!” It’s Pike’s voice, Vax notices._

_But after Grog squeezes her with a “Pikey!” Vax notices this is much shorter than the real Pike by about two feet. And her hair isn’t the same color._

_He doesn’t question it, and leans in to Vex as she whispers in his ear, “She’s a cleric, right?”_

_“Yes, of Seranrae, apparently,” he finds himself saying without having willed it._

_“Seranrae?” Vex asks._

_“Didn’t you pay attention at school?” Vax chastises, the words natural off his lips somehow. Vex glares at him and pouts the same way, by biting the inside of her cheek._ Some things never change, _he muses. “She’s the goddess of redemption.”_

_Vex scoffs slightly. “What need have we of a cleric of redemption? It’s not as if we’ve done something in need of forgiveness.”_

_Vax shoots his sister a disbelieving look. “Why yes, both of us have never been on the wrong side of the law before.”_

_“I have never done anything_ wrong _. Really wrong anyways,” she argues. “But having a healer around would be helpful for you, would it not?”_

_“Keyleth has managed to keep me in good health so far,” he murmurs, observing as Grog and Pike have a happy reunion on the front steps._

_“So far,” Vex points out._

Vax awakes coughing, a cold chill clinging to his body as his palms are slicked with sweat. The room is dark, and he can see another form sleeping on its side in the bed opposite his. _What a weird dream_ , Vax thinks to himself before another round of coughs makes it difficult to breathe. _It must have been a fever dream,_ he concludes as he takes stock of the scratch at the back of his throat and the sensation of chill in a room he knew was still hot from the lingering Summer heat. 

Settling back in, it takes Vax almost an hour to decide he needs cough medicine lest he risk another night devoid of restful sleep. During the agenda which Vex had dragged him through despite his near-zombie state, they had been shown by their brusk and blunt RA where there was a small convenience store on campus for student use. He hopes it's still open. 


End file.
